Throughout the offseason, the Green Bay Packers had a battle royal to determine who would be their No. 1 receiver. The Packers were highly active in the search for competition, flirting with blockbuster trades and taking a pair of receivers — including their first first-round receiver since 2022 — to leave no stone unturned. But it felt like no matter what they did, Romeo Doubs was going to be the odd man out.
Entering the final year of his contract, Doubs had a lot to prove, between his inconsistent performances and off-field issues. But ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Doubs may have needed just four games to turn his future around, as the Packers are already having discussions about a contract extension, and it’s possible Doubs could be in for a big payday when he’s set to become a free agent next spring.
“The trade rumors surrounding Doubs, who has four touchdowns through four games, never made much sense,” Fowler wrote. "The conversation was understandable last season, when the team suspended Doubs for one game for missing practices for personal reasons. But the Packers have shown no interest in trading him, and my sense is they have more interest in potentially extending him.”
Romeo Doubs’s Hot Start Could Force Packers Into Tough Decision
There were reasons why the Packers may have decided to move on from Doubs. Doubs was suspended for one game last September when he skipped practice over his role in Matt LaFleur’s offense, and a pair of concussions had LaFleur concerned for his long-term outlook during his end of season press conference.
With the additions of rookies Matthew Golden and Savion Williams, Doubs’ days appeared to be numbered as he entered training camp. But LaFleur suggested those rumors were merely speculation as he began the year as a starter.
“I’d be very shocked if he was ever going anywhere,” LaFleur said during an appearance on FanDuel TV’s Up & Adams show last August. “No, that will not happen... Because (Doubs) is out there competing and doing everything that we need to see from him. Obviously, he’s played a lot of ball for us and at a high level. He’s been a great teammate, and he goes out there and you can count on him every day.”
In the first four games, Doubs has been as reliable as anyone on the Packers’ roster. He leads all receivers in receptions (13), yards (179), and touchdowns (4) going into the team’s bye and trails tight end Tucker Kraft for the team lead in receptions and receiving yards. While the current production is nice, it also raises questions about his future, which Fowler reported is complicated by the free agent market.
“Doubs staying in Green Bay beyond 2025 is at least a possibility. But getting a bargain deal for an emerging receiver without a 1,000-yard season – think the Buffalo Bills’s four-year, $53 million pact with Khalil Shakir – is getting increasingly harder,” Fowler wrote. “Doubs is building a case as the No. 1 free agent option. Mike Evans, Jakobi Meyers, Jauan Jennings are in the class but aren’t entering their second contract like Doubs, who is 25. Youth always pays.”
For as impressive as Doubs’ start has been, he’s currently shy of the pace needed for his first career 1,000-yard season. This could also just be a prisoner of the moment, considering three of his touchdowns came in Sunday’s tie with the Dallas Cowboys. The Packers also have to decide the long-term futures of other receivers, as Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, and Dontayvion Wicks are all set for free agency after the 2026 season.
The financial situation may have been what convinced the Packers to take two receivers in April’s draft. Doubs has at least put himself into a position to cash in, which was seen as an unlikely scenario just a few months ago.